Vegetarian Weekly Meal Plan - Week 8

Collecting Recipes for a Vegetarian Weekly Meal Plan

I'm always on the hunt for dinner ideas for my vegetarian weekly meal plan that aren't too labor intensive and look like they'll taste great. I mean, really great. If they're a little more time consuming than I want during the week, then I look for make-ahead opportunities so that it comes together quickly at the end of a crazy busy day.

When I run across a recipe I want to make, I save it in some way. Usually to Pinterest, and sometimes to Instagram, if that's where I saw it. If it's a part of a newsletter I get, I move the email into a file called Recipes to Make. I receive emailed recipes from all kinds of sources: blogs I love, the New York Times, Epicurious, and PR agencies who send them in the hopes I'll promote it in some way.

And then there are the magazines. I have piles, as my husband can readily attest to. Seriously, it's like I'm a hoarder. But only of cooking magazines.

How do you run across recipes you want to try? How do you save them? Do you have a system? I'm realizing that I need to create a better system than this somewhat scattered approach I have.

Meanwhile, here are some recipes I saw last week that I want to try this coming week. I couldn't copy the photo of one of them, so you'll have to go check it out for yourself. It's absolutely stunning, and will pull you into the kitchen to make it right away. My apologies on only being able to provide a link on that one.

M O N D A Y

VEGETABLE BAHN MI

Get the recipe here by Sprouted Kitchen.

CAULIFLOWER BAHN MI

Get the recipe here by Minimalist Baker.

I've wanted to make a vegetarian cauliflower bahn mi for a long time. Bahn mi is a Vietnamese dish with pickled veggies and a spicy fish sauce. The traditional bahn mi includes pork and I love the salmon bahn mi at a restaurant where I used to live.

I'm including links to 2 recipes because I plan to combine them in some way. If it works out, you'll see it here on the blog very soon! As a note, the garlicky sauce in the top recipe by Sprouted Kitchen includes fish sauce. I plan to make this vegetarian version of a fish sauce by the Minimalist Baker instead.

The green aioli sauce in Sprouted Kitchen's recipe calls for mayonnaise. I always use JUST Mayo by Hampton Creek and LOVE it. If you haven't tried it, even if you don't follow a vegan diet, you must get it. Even my Carnivorous Maximus husband loves it, and most stores carry it.

Prep Ahead: The pickling can - and should - be done ahead. This is a great Sunday project. The sauce can be made at the same time.

Omnivore Tip: Add slices of roasted pork.

T U E S D A Y

SWEET POTATO CAKES WITH LEMONY SLAW

Get the recipe here by The First Mess.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to retrieve a photo of this dish, so I greatly encourage you to click on the link to check it out. Essentially the recipe is for vegetarian patties made of sweet potatoes, quinoa, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast and lots of spices. The patties are topped with a lemony tahini sauce, and the dish is served over shredded cabbage. It's gorgeous and looks absolutely delicious.

Prep Ahead: Make the lemony tahini sauce ahead over the weekend.

Omnivore Tip: Serve pork chops to the meat eaters, with these veggie patties on the side.

W E D N E S D A Y

STUFFED DELICATA SQUASH

Get the recipe here by The Wimpy Vegetarian.

Delicata squash, if you're not familiar with it, is small-ish and oblong. It's golden yellow with green stripes, and the skin is thin and somewhat bumpy. This is one of my favorite types of squash because it cooks up quickly and doesn't need to be peeled. If you can't find it, however, substitute spaghetti squash.

Prep Ahead: This recipe only takes about 20 minutes of prep time, so I don't plan to make any part of it ahead.

Omnivore Tip: Serve with seasoned ground beef tossed into the mixture in the squash.

T H U R S D A Y

SWEET CORN POLENTA with BAKED BEANS

Get the recipe here by Naturally Ella.

We're expecting some chilly weather later this week and this looks like a perfect comfort dish. I don't normally use canned anything, but we almost always have Bush's Baked Beans on hand. They are hands down my husband's favorite.

Prep Ahead: If you make your own beans, make them ahead. The flavors will only get better.

Omnivore Tip: Shredded BBQ pork is a great partner to this dish for the meat lovers at the table.

F R I D A Y

COCONUT CURRIED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Get the recipe here by The Wimpy Vegetarian

I make soup every week this time of year, and my favorite is butternut squash. In fact, every year I create a new one, and this was last year's. Butternut squash, apples, coconut milk and curry make an unbeatable flavor combination in this soup.

Prep Ahead: This dish comes together very quickly, the prep only takes 15 minutes, so there's no need prep ahead. But obviously if you want to make the soup a few days ahead, like over the weekend when you have more time, the flavors will be great.

W E E K E N D B A K I N G

NO-KNEAD SKILLET FOCACCIA

Get the recipe here by The Kitchn

Bonus Meal Plan Recipe:

Total shocker, I've never made focaccia. This is a serious oversight I plan to correct this coming week. This recipe is a traditional focaccia with rosemary and sea salt, but I love the non-traditional no-knead approach. I'll let you know how it goes!

If you make any of these dishes, I would love to see how it turns out for you!! Take a photo and put it up on Instagram - just don't forget to tag me @wimpyvegetarian.